The worldwide population of western honey bees (Apis mellifera) is under pressure from habitat loss, environmental stress, and pathogens, particularly viruses that cause lethal epidemics. Deformed wing virus (DWV) from the family Iflaviridae, together with its vector, the mite Varroa destructor, is likely the major threat to the world's honey bees. However, lack of knowledge of the atomic structures of iflaviruses has hindered the development of effective treatments against them. Here, we present the virion structures of DWV determined to a resolution of 3.1 Å using cryo-electron microscopy and 3.8 Å by X-ray crystallography. The C-terminal extension of capsid protein VP3 folds into a globular protruding (P) domain, exposed on the virion surface. The P domain contains an Asp-His-Ser catalytic triad that is, together with five residues that are spatially close, conserved among iflaviruses. These residues may participate in receptor binding or provide the protease, lipase, or esterase activity required for entry of the virus into a host cell. Furthermore, nucleotides of the DWV RNA genome interact with VP3 subunits. The capsid protein residues involved in the RNA binding are conserved among honey bee iflaviruses, suggesting a putative role of the genome in stabilizing the virion or facilitating capsid assembly. Identifying the RNA-binding and putative catalytic sites within the DWV virion structure enables future analyses of how DWV and other iflaviruses infect insect cells and also opens up possibilities for the development of antiviral treatments.
- MeSH
- elektronová kryomikroskopie MeSH
- kapsida ultrastruktura MeSH
- konformace proteinů MeSH
- molekulární modely MeSH
- počítačové zpracování obrazu MeSH
- proteinové domény MeSH
- RNA-viry ultrastruktura MeSH
- sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
- včely virologie MeSH
- virion ultrastruktura MeSH
- virové plášťové proteiny chemie ultrastruktura MeSH
- viry hmyzu ultrastruktura MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Viruses from the family Iflaviridae are insect pathogens. Many of them, including slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV), cause lethal diseases in honeybees and bumblebees, resulting in agricultural losses. Iflaviruses have nonenveloped icosahedral virions containing single-stranded RNA genomes. However, their genome release mechanism is unknown. Here, we show that low pH promotes SBPV genome release, indicating that the virus may use endosomes to enter host cells. We used cryo-EM to study a heterogeneous population of SBPV virions at pH 5.5. We determined the structures of SBPV particles before and after genome release to resolutions of 3.3 and 3.4 Å, respectively. The capsids of SBPV virions in low pH are not expanded. Thus, SBPV does not appear to form "altered" particles with pores in their capsids before genome release, as is the case in many related picornaviruses. The egress of the genome from SBPV virions is associated with a loss of interpentamer contacts mediated by N-terminal arms of VP2 capsid proteins, which result in the expansion of the capsid. Pores that are 7 Å in diameter form around icosahedral threefold symmetry axes. We speculate that they serve as channels for the genome release. Our findings provide an atomic-level characterization of the genome release mechanism of iflaviruses.
- MeSH
- Dicistroviridae genetika fyziologie ultrastruktura MeSH
- elektronová kryomikroskopie MeSH
- genom virový MeSH
- kapsida ultrastruktura MeSH
- koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
- konformace proteinů MeSH
- molekulární modely MeSH
- Picornaviridae genetika fyziologie ultrastruktura MeSH
- statická elektřina MeSH
- svlékání virového obalu fyziologie MeSH
- včely virologie MeSH
- virové plášťové proteiny chemie ultrastruktura MeSH
- viry hmyzu genetika fyziologie ultrastruktura MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
The ultrastructural aspects of the interaction of R. sibirica and R. slovaca with cells of mites of the species Dermacentor reticulatus, D. marginatus and Ixodes ricinus after their parenteral infection, as well as in the organs of D. marginatus infected naturally in the environment, have been studied. Both rickettsial species have similar morphology in different organs of the vector. These rickettsiae not only multiply, their populations are also partly destroyed in phagolysosomes. The natural mixed infection of R. sibirica and orbivirus in cells of D. reticulatus is described. As shown in this study, both associates pass through the complete ontogenetic cycle of development on the level of the host body and also on the level of an individual cell.
- MeSH
- arachnida jako vektory mikrobiologie ultrastruktura MeSH
- buněčné inkluze virové ultrastruktura MeSH
- Dermacentor MeSH
- elektronová mikroskopie MeSH
- klíšťata mikrobiologie ultrastruktura MeSH
- Rickettsia patogenita ultrastruktura MeSH
- RNA-viry ultrastruktura MeSH
- viry hmyzu ultrastruktura MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- anglický abstrakt MeSH
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Československo MeSH
